Welcome

Thank you for visiting my website.

I am proud to serve as the State Senator from Illinois’ 47th District, representing much of western Illinois. I hope you’ll find this site a useful resource in keeping up to date with what’s happening in our district and in Springfield. Please contact any of my offices with questions or ways I can better serve you.

SPRINGFIELD, IL – State Senator John Sullivan (D-Rushville) applauded today’s ruling by the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which struck down Illinois’ restrictive law on bearing arms outside the home. The federal court gave the General Assembly and the governor 180 days to enact concealed carry legislation.

“I am extremely pleased with today’s decision and could not agree more that the time has come for Illinois to join the 49 other states where it’s legal to carry a gun for self-defense in a public place,” Sen. Sullivan said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to draft a law that finally respects Illinoisans’ Second Amendment rights and makes our state a safer place for law-abiding citizens.”

Illinois law currently prohibits carrying a loaded weapon outside one’s own home, with exceptions for hunters, law enforcement officers and a few other types of individuals. Following the United States Supreme Court’s lead, the appeals court in a 2-1 decision declared that the right to bear arms includes a right to self-defense and that people need to defend themselves and their families in a variety of settings, not just in their homes. The court suggested some restrictions would still be permissible but unequivocally stated that Illinois may no longer remain the last hold-out in the nationwide movement to allow concealed carry.